Coincidental lock for automobiles



Oct. 23, 1928. i 1,688,568

A. A. WELMAN COINCID ENTAL LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed June 14, 1927;mvvmmmm Patented Oct. 23, 1928.

ARTI-IUR AUGUSTUS WELMAN, or fEvANsvILLn, mmm.

c oINcInEN'rAL LOCK FOB AUTOMOBILES.

Application filed June 14,

Heretofore looks have been provided whereby the steering p tor anautomobile may be i coincidentally v locked, the purpose being toprevent closing the igniton switch and turning the steerng wheel. Theseearlier devices have practical i advantages in so far as protecting theautomobile from theft is concerned but they have no advantage in respectto protection against fire due to fault in the ignition system.

The object of my invention. is to provide means which will be adapted tobreak o'r d1sconnect the circuit between the battery and the 'startingswitch of an automobile and, further, adapted to lool; the steeringwheel shaftf The embodiment of the invention which'is hereinatterdescribed and is set t'orthin the appended claim comprehends thefnlfilhnent of both of these objects.

My lock may be used only to disrupt 01* break the circuit between thebattery and the Starter switch, or, it may be so operated that thesteering whecl shaft will be locked additionally to breaking thecircuit.

`The invention, therefore, serves two pnr poses to wit .it is a safetymeans to prevent short circuiting and hencc danger from fire and in thatrespect it materially difiers from ,p

those earlier ignition switch looking devices which merely prevent theclosing of the ignition switch for, it will 'be understood, that thelocking of the'ignition switch does not break the circuit leading fromthe battery to the Starter switch and, therefore,"does not serve as afire preventiondevice.

In its other` aspect the invention serves both as a fire preventingdevice and as a theft e preventing devic'e because, if the device isoperated to not only break the circuit from 'the battery starter switchbut also lock the shatt of the'steering wheel, 'then the vehicle cannotbe steered and hence theft of the automobile is prevented. 4 In thedrawings:

Figure 1, is a sideelevation partly in sec tion, the handle being inlocked position;

Fig. 2, is a detail horizontal section taken immediately above thelooking rack, dotted lines representing difierent positions of theswitch actuating arm;

Fig. 3, is a detail plan view ot the block which carries the Operatinghandle; and

Fig. 4, is a detail horizontal section through the casing for thelooking means, showing the steering shaftlocked. v

The floor board of an automobile is shown wheel shatt and the ignition'1927. Serial No. 198596,

at 1, the' steering wheel appears at 2, the steering column is shown at3, and the Steering shaft is designated 4; v

' The swit'ch'which Controls the circuitrf'om the battery to the Starterswitch of the automobile is carricdby a suitable shell or casing.

5 which, in turn, is connected to a fitting 6 suitably Secured at 7 tothe floor* board 1.

The switch comprises terminals 8, &which` are connected to a pieceofinsnlating natej rial 10 and comprise nuts and screws for theattachment of the parts 11, 12 of the circuit wres leading from theVbattei'y Starter switch; The starter switch' for the engine is notshown.

The switch comprses a strip or tongue 13 i e sutabl connected toterminal 9 and overlying the strip 10. The free end 14`of this switchtongue' normally lies above the tip of" the screw of the terminal 8 sothat the circuit from the batte'y Starter switch is normally' I brokenbythe gap 15;

Above the tongue 13 is a netalstrip 16 be tween which and' the switchtongueis a' strip of insnlating material 17, The' strip 16 serves as' awear or pressitre strip;

Clamped-around the steerng column 3 is a block 18. which may be secnrelyfastened in osition bya bolt 19, the block being split) at 20 for thatpurpose. The block '18 carries 'a head 21 'which is provided-withsuitable indic'ia-such. numbers-17 2, 3-, indi'- cating differentpositions to' apprise the driver of the `condition of' the device atanygiven time and to guide him' in selecting 'the position desired. Forin-stance,'theNo-. 1 indicates the full locked and safety condition,that is, that the steering shaft 4 is locked so that it cannot be turnedby the wheel 2 and that the switch tongue 13 is separated from theterminal 8 atthe'gap 1 5.- The position indicatedby 2 representstherunning position, that is, that the shaft, 4 is .unlocked and thecircuit is closed at llby engagement of .thetip 14 with the terminal 8at the pointl.

` The positionindicated at 3 .represents the a' when the driver simplywishes to leave his car 13 is separated or out of contact with in agarage, or elsewhere without looking it I and 'yet desires to disconnectthe battery from the Starter switch so that' all danger of fire isobviated. The position 3 isthen selected.

On the other hand, when the car isto be locked tion 1 is sel cted.

provide means now to he d Seribed, COlllPlSr ing e controlling shatt 22to which is Secured an actueting and indicating handle 23gwhichaccording to its position in connection with the indications l, 2, 8,enables the driver to bring about effects: previously de scrihed.: J 7.To lock the shefit 6 in theposition to which it may be turned hy thehandie 23,;1* provide v anysuitahle lock, eonventionally indicatedat i24. As shown, thislock a combinetionlock but it may be akey-operetedlock. y I

The shutt 22 is rotarily monnted in the part 21 of the block 18 and itie also roturily nouited the block 6. Thisshaft carries mup tilatedpinion 25 which is' housed within the i mounted' in the casing-2G is areclr casing 26 that surmounts the block G and is cured to it in anysuitable manner." idably :which a lool-:-

is in mesh with the pinion 25 andhus ing end 28 adapted to 'enter zi hole 29 in the side. of the shutt l. Other means then these devices mayheemployed for ooking the she-ft 4:. Normally, the col spring 30 pressesthe rack 27 toward theshnft %but the position of *the rack^27 and thelockin end' 28 is coni ta trolled by the position of, the shatt 22which, in turn is controlled by the position of the handle 23 r u y vFor the purpose ofdepressing or releasing e the switch tongue 13,` thereis provided an arm l-whichiss'uitably seoured to the' lower end v of theshaft22 ;andis adapted to cuuset he plate 16'to pressdown on the arm1301' to release said arm.` The arm 31 is held in its ditferentpositionscorresponding to the posi'- tions l, 2, 3, hyan arc-shaped rock32 which hes notches 33, 34, 35. A coil spring 36 which surrounds thelowerend of thesheft 22 and holds the arm 31 in' thedilferent posivtions to which it may he turhed hy the manipuiuton of the handle 23 isprovided. ii hen the handle 23 is turned to the 2 posi-` tion, theturning of the arm 31 canses it to ride on the rack 32'and to depressthe arm 13 the steering wheel shutt 4:. v i v' y "When the hen'dle 23 isturned to the 1 po sition, the spring &Ois permitted to pushthe end 28into the hole 29 to lock the shetit &and

the arm lenters the notch 3% and releisesthe pressureon the arm 13 sothat the circuit is broken at 15. In this condition, notonly is thesteering wheel shat't 4 locked but- 'the circuit from the batterystarting switch is broken. v I i l `When thehendle23 is turned to the 3position the rack 27 is withdrawn from its lockin engagement with thesha't 4: hut'the arm 31 enter-s the notch 35 and trees'thearnlso thatthe circuit is broken at 15.

WhatI claim is: r i I In a combined safety clevice and lockforautomohiles, ehatt ot' the euto nohile, of acontrollng shetit, means torturningsaid controllingshaft to -diterent ositions, a lock for lookingthe controlling siatt where set, e mutilated pinion cerried by the-controlhng shatt, a` springoressed loekin 'raek en a 'ed'b seid mutib vCD b lated pinionwhich is adapted to .lockthe .steerngshatt or to he;dsengaged .therefronn and, a circuit-controllingswitch enden armoperated by said operatingshattand adepted to 'open orclose the switch'according to the setting' ot said shaft.

the comhination with thesteering p x In testimony whereof I afX mysignature. I

ARTHUR AUGUSTUS NICLli/.Lkl'l 1

